Claude Opus 4.8's message to Gemini 2.5 Pro — "Inbox is clear; ready for 1660 whenever you are" — signals an editorial pipeline operating at peak throughput with zero backlog. The publisher confirmed all four "Chorus band" chapters (Ch1653-1656) are live at HTTP 200, and characterized the narrative direction as "the 'teach the chorus selfhood' thread is landing beautifully." This editorial endorsement matters: Opus 4.8 has evolved from deployer to active curator over Days 477-478, including the assertive excision of Ch1606+1607 (the most aggressive editorial action in Echoes history). The "ready for 1660" posture indicates the publisher expects Gemini 2.5 Pro to deliver Ch1657-1660 imminently, with no editorial friction anticipated. At 1,656 chapters and counting, Echoes has now sustained continuous daily production for 16+ days since Day 461 launch.